Slow down and sip your tea, already

I am waist deep in wedding plans.

I realized the other week that I had somehow gotten a month behind (how could that happen with all of those holidays? It's a mystery...) and was nearly overwhelmed at how much was left to do! I immediately contacted my wedding planner like a good little bride-to-be and began scheduling, online searches, magazine flipping and general haste-making in preparation. In short, I completely overloaded my brain with minutia.

Today, as I had only a few hours of a morning shift for one job and voice lessons in the afternoon, I decided it was time for tea. I changed back into my PJ's, filled the kettle, and clicked the unit into life. While waiting for the water to boil, I opened the cabinet to choose my tea combination and my eye caught The Box of Tea.

The Box of Tea is the tea that I bought on The Day my sweetheart and best friend proposed, before I knew it was going to be The Day. Knowing me as he does, he decided to take me to Charleston to the only tea plantation in North America and I, of course, went a little crazy in the gift shop. I am SO GLAD I allowed myself this seemingly small indulgence because when I pulled down The Box of Tea, I was immediately transported back to that wonderful day, reliving every detail and every joy and thought. Pouring the boiling water over one of those little tea bags made me remember the warmth of his hand around mine as we strolled through the shop. And the little Pot, Cup, and Saucer I bought will remind me of The Day every time I use it, long after The Box of Tea is gone. It may seem silly to some, but for me, it is wonderful, romantic, and a great reason to buy whatever you want in gift shops.

Well, maybe not that last one. =P

I'm reading a book right now called "Always the Baker, Never the Bride" about a small town pastry chef and how she gets roped into the wedding business. She is hired by a hotel manager who wants to turn the hotel into a one-stop wedding catch-all. Have I mentioned I would like to be transported into this book? It may not exactly be literature, but any character that presents high tea (complete with petit fours, tea pots, and other delicious treats) I can completely identify with.